1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a menu displaying apparatus for a word processor, and more particularly to a menu displaying apparatus wherein a sub menu is displayed in a menu display region set in a menu display as well as in a message display region in a state in which the sub menu is overrun. 2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, for example, English language word processors are provided with displays having a plurality of display lines and with a number of functions intended to make it easier to perform a process for inputting document data and a process for editing the input document data.
Where it is desired to execute a desired function out of these many functions which have heretofore used, for example, a character decoration function such as an underline, a main menu comprising a plurality of main items with "character decoration" included therein is displayed on a display in response to operation of a menu key. When a desired main item "character decoration" is selected out of these main items displayed thereon, a plurality of sub items including "underline" and "boldface character" related to the selected main item "character decoration" are displayed on the display as a sub menu. Therefore, a desired sub item "underline" to be executed is selected out of these sub items.
Meanwhile, in a normal word processor equipped with a display having a small number of display lines, a main menu is displayed on the top line of the display, and one line or two lines from the bottom of the display are always maintained as a message display region for displaying the operation for selecting either the main item or sub item and for displaying guide messages relating to the execution of various functions. Thus, the respective sub items are displayed on the display at a time corresponding to the displayable number of lines one by one in a direction in which they approach from the second line on the display to the message display region. When an undisplayable sub item which cannot be displayed because of the presence of the message display region is selected, a cursor down-movement key is operated to scroll the sub items, thereby displaying the sub items in that region.
As described above, in the conventional word processor, problems arise in that the number of the sub items displayable at a time is reduced due to the fact that the message display region interferes with their displays. The scrolling operation for displaying the sub items undisplayable due to the interference by the presence of the message display region is thus cumbersome.